The day is nearly here! Rosen comes from the word roose which means "frolic" and montag is the word for Monday. Rosenmontag, Monday the 12th of Feb, is the highlight of Carnival and is always celebrated the Monday before Ash Wednesday. The biggest parades can be found in "Karnevalschochburgen" or carnival strongholds - Rhineland, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Bonn, Aachen and Mainz. Lucky for us, Mainz has a HUGE celebration and it's only a 60 minute drive from RAB. If you are on tour in Germany for just 3 or 4 years, it may be worth it to fight the crowds and see one of these massive parades...with the thousands of other spectators. The floats will be massive, poking fun at German habits, local and international leaders, and current events. The floats can get pretty offensive and racy and it's all part of the fun. The folks in the parades will be dressed in amazing costumes and mostly likely downing some drinks as they stroll along. Grab a berliner and head to one of these parades for a once in a lifetime experience.

Or check out a smaller local parade! Schönenberg-Kübelberg is going to have a Shrove Monday procession at 1:11 p.m. Address is Bahnhofstrasse, 66901. The city of Krottelbach will also have a parade at 3:00 p.m. at Hauptstrasse, 66909. Both will be kid friendly and less of the massive crowds you will find in the bigger cities.